XMAS HEAVENWWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM NOVEMBER baking heaven 19
Espresso
doily cookies
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
2 tbsp espresso beans, crushed
(see Tip)
60ml (2fl oz) whole milk
170g (5¾oz) unsalted butter, room
temperature
50g (1¾oz) icing sugar, sifted, plus
more for dusting
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coffee extract
250g (9oz) plain fl our, plus more for
dusting
½ tsp coarse salt
1 In a small saucepan, heat the espresso
beans and milk over a medium-high heat
until the milk begins to simmer. Remove
from the heat and let stand for 15
minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh
sieve and discard the espresso beans.
2 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, with an
electric mixer on medium, beat the
butter and sugar until pale and fluffy,
about 2 minutes. Add both extracts and
beat to combine. In a small bowl, whisk
together the flour and salt. Add the flour
mixture in 2 additions, alternating with
espresso-infused milk, mixing just until
a dough forms. Shape into a disc, wrap
in clingfilm, then refrigerate for at least
30 minutes and up to 2 days.
3 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark- Divide the dough in half. On lightly
floured parchment, roll out each piece
slightly thicker than 3mm (^1 / 8 in). Using
scallop-edged or fluted round cutters, cut
out cookies and transfer them to a baking
sheet, spaced about 2.5cm (1in) apart.
Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
4 Remove from the freezer. Cut out doily
patterns in the centres of the cookies
using aspic cutters. (If the dough begins
to soften, return the cookies to the
freezer until firm.) Gather the scraps,
shape into a disc, then chill in the
refrigerator before re-rolling and cutting.
5 Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets
halfway through, until the edges are set,
12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on
baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks
to cool completely. Sift icing sugar over
the top. Store in an airtight container at
room temperature for up to 5 days.
Molasses-
ginger crisps
MAKES ABOUT 8 DOZEN
265g (9½oz) plain fl our
1½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp coarse salt
230g (8oz) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
300g (10½oz) granulated sugar
1 large free-range egg, plus 1 large
egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tbsp fi nely chopped crystallised
ginger
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled, fi nely
grated
100g (3½oz) molasses
200g (7oz) coarse sanding sugar
1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the
flour, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and
salt. In a large bowl, with an electric
mixer on medium-high, beat the butter
and granulated sugar until pale and
fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg
and egg yolk, crystallised ginger and
grated ginger. Add the flour mixture in
3 additions, alternating with molasses;
mix on low until well combined. Cover
and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark- Using a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon
or cookie scoop, scoop the dough and
roll it into balls, then coat with sanding
sugar. Transfer to parchment-lined
baking sheets, spacing 5cm (2in) apart.
3 Bake, rotating the sheets halfway
through, until the cookies are flat and
the edges are dark golden brown,
12-14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on
baking sheets. Transfer the cookies to
wire racks to cool completely. Store in
an airtight container at room
temperature up to 2 days, or freeze
for up to a month.
Recipes on pages
18-19 are taken from
Martha Stewart’s
Cookie Perfection
copyright ©
by Editors of Martha
Stewart Living.
Published by
Clarkson Potter, an
imprint of Penguin
Random House.TIP To crush espresso beans, place in a
resealable bag and gently pound with a
heavy skillet, meat mallet or rolling pin.
Alternatively, coarsely grind in a spice
grinder or with a mortar and pestle.